In life we observe that chance plays a dual role.

Chance and Hidden Order

In life we observe that chance plays a dual role. On one hand, many events are perceived as pure randomness – consequences of irrational and unpredictable circumstances against which man is powerless. As stated in one source, “In our world not only does God act but also fate, necessity, and chance. … And chance, playing a huge role in life, represents the lostness and helplessness of man in a vast world in which an enormous number of elusive forces, unaccountable by rational means, operate” (source: link txt). Here, chance appears as an element that renders our lives vulnerable to uncontrollable forces.

On the other hand, in explanations of the origin and structure of the world, there is the opinion that pure, blind chance cannot produce reason and the integrity of existence. Thus, in one statement the author notes: “I cannot believe… that blind chance could produce rational beings, that the thoughtless could produce creatures endowed with thought. Even Einstein acknowledged: ‘My religion is a deeply felt conviction in the existence of a Higher Reason, which is revealed to us in a world accessible to cognition’” (source: link txt). This expresses the conviction that behind apparent randomness there may lie a higher reason that governs or directs the processes of the world.

It is also worth noting that the concept of chance is largely subjective. Sometimes, we mistakenly perceive the interruption of a sequence of events or the beginning of a new one as “chance,” simply because we are limited by the coordinates of our own understanding (source: link txt). This suggests that chance might be nothing more than a measure of our cognitive limitations, indicating what we have not yet been able to explain with rational regularities.

Thus, it can be said that although chance indeed has a tremendous influence on the course of our lives—defining both fortunate and unfortunate twists (as noted: “Human life is filled with suffering … because it depends on chance” (source: link txt))—many modern thinkers tend to look for something beyond mere chance as the basis of the world. Those who believe in the existence of a higher mind or principle hold that behind the apparent irrationality lies a controlled, albeit not completely comprehensible, design.